New... with questions

F

fitmommy

New Member
I just found this web site and I'm so glad I did :-jumpy... You all seem like a wonderful group. :)

I have been working out for a while at the gym and with exercise tapes but still have about 5-10 lbs of fat to lose :-mad. I have used The Firm tapes at first but I do not find them so challenging any longer. I actually just did Firm Cardio (where is the cardio ???) 10 minutes ago and still have energy to burn... additionally I did not like the transitions...

I do love 2theMax, Firm3 & Tough Tape but now I would like to try Cathe's tapes but do not quite know where to start... Is there a big gap between these 3 tapes and Cathe's tapes...? Should I use other tapes first?...what do you think of Karen Voights videos ? Also, I am looking for a great lenghtening/stretching tape, any suggestions ?

Also, how much water should I drink daily...is the recommended 8-10 glasses per day sufficient? I have read that some are recommending 1 gallon :-wow

Sorry, about all these questions ...

TIA
 
Hi and welcome aboard! I'm not a FIRM fan and of the tapes you mentioned I'm only familiar with Tough Tape and Cathe's tapes surpass that one by a mile in my opinion. All of Cathe's tape are top-notch so you'll get an excellent workout no matter which you choose. I was wondering what exactly you were interested in, do you enjoy step aerobics, how much time you have to workout and what kind of equipment you have at home ie. step, barbell, dumbells etc. That would info would help all of us to help you choose even though you'll probably end up addicts like us and end up purchasing them all in the end anyways!

:) Stacy
 
Hi Stacy !

Thank you so much for your reply !

Here is what I am looking for : something challenging that gives me that "rush" (I get that by the end of 2 the Max)... I don't mind having to learn some steps or having to walk in place in the begining... I want so room to grow.

I love variety : step, hi/lo, light weights (5lbs) and medium weights (10-20 lbs)... I am thoroughly annoyed by little moves here and there that don't accomplish much (some Firm warm ups and aerobic routines are like that). That is b/c I only have 1 hour per day and I really want to make it count.

Right now I have a full size step , 3lbs, 5lbs and 10lbs dumbells...I am planning a trip to Play It Again Sports to purchase 7lbs, 15lbs and, if I find a video I love which requires a barbell, I will buy that too. I am so psyched :-jumpy to get back in shape... my husband just shakes his head and rolls his eyes :-rollen ( He does not know that I am also planning on getting him in shape too, hehehe... }>)

Thanks again Stacy !
 
Well in my opinion....get the barbell, lol!! I got one last year and I absolutely love it!! 99% of Cathe's exercises/tapes can be done substituting dumbells for a barbell but a few especially her leg workouts and some back and chest exercises feel so much nicer with a barbell. I'd say if you want good variety and only have an hour to workout, I'd consider the Cross Train Express Series. If you're not ready to make that big of a purchase right off the bat, any combo of her other tapes would be excellent. BodyMax is a great tape, but not necessarily one to do first if you're not familiar with Cathe, only b/c it may frustrate you learning the moves at first. Another great one especially to feel that rush is Interval Max...I still cant do this one in its entirety. For a good starter for strength training, Maximum Intensity Strength is a great total body workout. Of her all step tapes, my favorites are Step Jam, Step Fit and Step Works. Geez, I could go on and on. Read some of the info on the tapes, think about what you may want for your purchase, how much you're willing to spend etc and let us help you narrow it down....we love spending someone else's money, lol. I have all of Cathe's tapes now and other than a few non-Cathe tapes I'm a total Cathe devotee. I started doing exercise tapes about 15 years ago and Cathe's are by far the best out there. Happy Shopping!!

:) Stacy
 
Since you only have about an hour

Try cathe's 6 cross train Express tapes--which offer some type of cardio upfront and strength training of one body part after--all within an hour each!!! OOOh, they're perfect. BUT--anything you choose of Cathe's will be better than the Firm--other than the orignal Firm first 3 tapes; which are still excellent). Murph
 
I recommend that you get 12 lbs dumbbells as well. It's a pretty big jump from 10 lbs to 15 lbs for most women. And, a barbell is so cool.

I really like Tough Tape. It sounds like you need heavier weights to make your FIRM tapes more challenging.

The best discount with Cathe's tapes is to get the 5 and get one free (or buy 4 and get 1 free, I forget - check the website and do the math).

All I can say is, I really doubt you'll be disappointed with Cathe! Hope you're ready to sweat!
 
I agree with the 12lb. dumbells. I had only 10's and 15's for about a year, and either I couldn't do all the reps, or I could and didn't feel I got worked enough. I love my 12's! Ok, about the tapes, I like BodyMax, it was my first and is still my favorite. However, if you only have an hour that may not be the way to go. I you want to do cardio one day and strength the next, I will suggest IMAX or MIC and MIS. If you want them both in the same workout, get the crosstrain express series. Yes, it's some money, but they get the job done:)! One thing, if you do get them, be careful of doing Power Circut and Leaner Legs back to back.
Ok, those are my HO's. Good Luck with what you decide and WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!!




Aimee
 
Hi Fitmommy,
Welcome to the site. In your post you said you like variety and I think Circuit Max would be a great tape. It uses light weights and has hi/lo, kickboxing, and step. It is one of my favorites, and you can purchase it seperately.

If you are looking to lift weights then you could get MIS which is a really good total body workout. I can tell you, once you buy one, you will keep buying until you have them all. Cathe is the best around. If you use her tapes you will definitely see improvements in your muscle tone and cardio, and that is coming from my own personal experience. I started out using Firm but found that I could not do a lot of cardio because of the weight & aerobic combination. I switched to Cathe because she focuses on cardio or weights and I saw a lot of improvements in all areas and still getting better. So let us know what you do decide.

Happy Shopping!!:D

Terri
 
Hello and welcome!! This is so funny, but I think everyone would agree that you can't go wrong with ANY OF CATHE'S TAPES. There is no mistake or regret when purchasing any one of hers. So go ahead close your eyes and point to one, I guarentee you won't be disappointed!!! Let us know what you come up with and happy shoppin'!! Blessings, Lori :D
 
Hi, I just wanted to say "Welcome" too - I agree that you can't go wrong with a Cathe workout. I suggest watching the previews on this site (which are longer than any previews I've seen anywhere else, so you can get a really good idea). I'm sure you'll find more than 1 to meet your needs! Don't forget there are new workouts coming out!! Also, the best value for Cathe's tapes is to buy 4 & get 1 free, with no shipping. Works out to $12-something per video. Whatever you decide, good luck with it, & let us know how you get on!
Ruth
 
I have 2 lb wrist weights which I slip one when I want my 10 lb db's to turn magically into 12's. This may be the cheapest route....I am the queen of cheap! As for the 40 lb db's Miss Wonder Woman Cathe uses in her Slow & Heavy leg tape, I may use my 5 lb ankle weights on my wrists and plates mates(5 lbs)to bring my 25 db up to 40. There's always a way. I like using the db's to do plie squats....that's the way I always did them pre-Cathe tapes. I think you feel it more in the inner thigh which is where I REALLY need it!
 
Thank you ALL soo much !

I went to Academy Sports to purchase 12lbs dumbells but they did not have any... I will try your trick honeybunch (cute name btw ... that is what we called our first daughter when she was a baby :)) I do have 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 ankle weights... I think that may do the trick.

While I was at Academy I was eyeing the barbells...I don't quite know which size/brand to buy... I will do a search and see what is recommended here.

As for the Cathe tapes... I am very tempted to buy XTrain Express... Do you think it is enough to train a body part only once per week ? I also want to buy Bodymax, and MIS sounds so good too... Ouch my credit card
cwm3.gif
!!! What do you all think of VHS vs DVD ??


Thank you all sooo much !!
remybussi.gif
 
Hello Fitmommy,
And welcome.
Hang on to your credit card cuz you are in for a ride!!
seriously,
XTrain Express is really a wonderful series. The cardio portions are fun and intense. You can mix and match the workouts and use it to work each muscle group more than once a week. Several people put together a push/pull rotation using xtrain.

For example, I have done the kickbox/bicep tape and added the weight portion from the tricep tape to get the second body part on the same day.

With this mixing and matching in mind, DVD seems to be the best way. I just purchased a DVD player and I'm anxiously waiting for the delivery of the xtrain on dvd.

Whatever you get, I'm sure you will be happy. All of Cathe's workouts are really wonderful. (You can still preorder her new ones through June 30.)
-joy
 
I can seriously recommend MIS! That is the first REALLY HARD workout I ever did, & the results were so quick & so great that I was hooked for life! I gather from things said here that a lot of us are fond of this one...
Cute icons!
Ruth
 
Hey Fitmommy! Will you PLEASE share your icon codes with us? I just love them!

You might possibly want to consider a Body Bar instead of a barbell.
http://www.fwonline.com/bdbars.htm
The obvious drawback it that you can't adjust the weight of it but most of the stuff Cathe does seems to work well with one heavy weight (for me anyway). And the wrist weights are a great idea too, I'm going to try that next time for chest presses. Body Bars are very comfortable to hold (great padding) and it's one solid piece of metal, so the weight is perfectly balanced, instead of heavy on each end. It also makes it unnecessary for you to use a barbell pad when you rest it on the back of your shoulders. Just a thought.

Glad you're going to get 12#ers, it'll feel good! Sounds like the Cross Training series is what you're looking for, if you can swing it. I like to mix & match the cardio a lot (maybe two of the cardio segments at a time) and then I cue up the strength segments to make a split routine, or a push/pull routine to do over a two day period. That way, you can get more than just one body part a week. I also like that because it's really difficult for me to do all the upper body parts at one time, so it evens out. If you have a DVD player, it's a lot more convenient to mix & match because the chapters are so thoroughly broken down!

Body Max was my first Cathe tape & I still love it! The tempo was the hardest part for me to get used to, Cathe does like it brisk so just take that into consideration when you first try it! And you just can't go wrong with MIS, it'll always be a masterpiece!
 
RE: Thanks !!!

Those icons are so cute. Is there a special trick to get them into a post and will they work anywhere else like MSWord or Excel. I'm not the greatest computer wiz so hope someone can help me out. So far I've tried a right click to copy but it doesn't seem to want to paste any where.

Thanks in advance



I'm strivN2Bfit , Paulette
roflmao.gif


oops I think I've got it now. I'll have to see if it'll work with other applications.

This is cool
orangehat.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top